I hear things I tried to say
Echo back to me the opposite way
Everything I've read spinning round my head
Let's escape to where the air is cold and thin
Oh I might have believed in a miracle once, Everest
Oh I might have believed, though I'm feeling deceived
And for all I care
I don't want to know
January 4, 2019 9:15 AM, Sunday
Department of Mysteries
In the movies the main characters are always rescued at the last minute. A harrowing battle ensues and everyone is whisked away to safety. That's how it happens in the movies. As Curtis entered the cell with a half dozen guards I realized that reality doesn't work the same way.
Two guards lifted the back of my chair until I was sitting straight once again. My cell phone fell from my hands and clattered to the floor. I had no way of knowing if Wilkes ever got the call and even if he did, who knows if it was of any use. It didn't matter anymore, it was already too late.
I remained silent as they began to drag Khalida and Draco from the room. Khalida's eyes met mine and she nodded slightly. I gave a small nod in return. It was much more difficult to keep from crying out when I looked toward Draco. The desperate look in his eyes made my heart ache and my blood boil.
"I love you," he mouthed silently.
"I love you too," I replied quietly. He nodded to show he understood and then he and Khalida were gone, leaving me alone in the cell with Curtis.
"I guess it's just the two of us," Curtis remarked nonchalantly. I glared at him but my mouth remained closed. "Now really Jenny, can't we be friends? After all, we will be spending a lot of time together in the future." A minute passed and I continued to remain silent. "Be that way then," he grumbled and moved to leave the cell.
Suddenly the door burst open and a uniformed guard rushed in. He strode across the room quickly and whispered something to Curtis. The president's lips pursed into a tight line and his cheeks reddened in anger. He whispered loudly to the guard and they both rushed out of the room.
Anxiousness overtook me and I could feel my heart beating against my chest. All sorts of thoughts ran through my mind. Maybe Khalida and Draco escaped or maybe someone had come to rescue us, I had no way of knowing. Every second passed at an agonizingly slow pace.
A sudden banging on the cell door caused me to cry out in surprise. "I'm in here!" I yelled out without a second thought. The banging stopped and I called out again. "Help! I'm in here!" The banging didn't resume but something odd happened.
The door began to bulge in the middle as if something very powerful was pushing from the other side. The bulge continued to grow until it looked like the door was blowing a bubble. I watched nervously as it continued to expand and then it did exactly what bubbles do when they get too big. It exploded, sending a hail of debris through the room. I closed my eyes but could do nothing to protect my body except turn away as far as the ropes would allow.
When the dust settled and I finally opened my eyes, I found myself staring into the smiling face of Officer Wilkes. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a guard firing a spell from the doorway. I flinched as a shot rang out and a bullet whizzed by my cheek. The guard hit the floor with a loud thump. I glanced at the gun in Wilkes' hand and raised an eyebrow.
"Stick with what you know," Wilkes offered as two people in hooded dark robes entered the room. I glanced at them nervously. "Don't worry, they're with me," Wilkes explained calmly as he holstered his gun and moved to untie me.
"Thanks," I said in a hoarse whisper. My emotions were still too chaotic to say anything more. I tenderly rubbed the raw skin on my wrists.
Wilkes bent down and picked my cell phone up off the floor. "Good thinking," he stated as he handed the phone to me. "Better hold onto it, could come in handy." That's the understatement of the century, I thought to myself as I shoved the phone into my back pocket.
"What about Draco and Khalida?" I asked anxiously.
"They're fine," Wilkes responded kindly, "We came across them on our way down here, looked awful glad to see us too."
"I'm glad to see you too," I croaked, my emotions causing the words to stick in my throat.
"Don't break down on me yet," he replied sternly, "We've still got to get out of here."
"Who are they?" I asked, gesturing to the two figures standing in the doorway.
"Vampires," Wilkes stated quietly, "Not the most personable people in the world, but they're damned good at getting into hard to reach places."
"We must hurry," hissed the hooded figure on the left, "Are you fit enough to fight?"
I nodded assuredly. "I'm okay but I don't know how much help I'll be. I don't have a wand and my wandless magic isn't very reliable." I clenched my fists at my sides. "I can fight though." The man nodded in understanding and motioned for us to follow them into the hall.
The manor was in complete chaos. Guards rushed down the halls and through doors, vampires gliding along calmly in pursuit. There were a few guards attempting to put up a fight but their efforts were in vain. The place seemed to be infested with vampires. They were in every hall we ran down and every room we passed.
"This seems pretty one sided," I commented as we made our way up a set of stairs.
"These are only guards," the vampire explained, "Soon the AWG soldiers will show up and things will not be so easy. It would be best if we can escape before backup arrives." Wilkes and I both nodded in understanding.
"This place is like a maze," Wilkes ground out in annoyance.
"We're almost at the front hall, do not slow down," the vampire urged anxiously. The tone in his voice made me nervous and I hurried along as fast as my feet could carry me.
I cried out in relief as the hooded figure pushed open a door and the main entrance came into view. Khalida and Draco were waiting there and tears rolled down my cheeks as they both ran up and enveloped me in a tight hug. We all jumped as the vampire that had accompanied us suddenly called out.
"Retreat!" The vampire yelled and as soon as the order was given more vampires in hooded robes began to fill the front hall.
"Let's go," Wilkes commanded as he opened the entrance door.
Somewhere around a hundred vampires surrounded us as we made our way out onto the grounds in a mass exodus. "We just need to get outside the wards and then we can fly out of here," Khalida explained.
"But what about Draco and me?" I asked. A broomstick was pushed into my hands and I looked over to find that Draco had one as well.
"My father's Firebolt," I stated as I examined the broom and my fingers reverently traced my father's name.
"Of course," commented one of the vampires standing to my right. The vampire pulled back his hood and offered me an amused smile. It was Seth, the vampire that I had met in the Forbidden Forest. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by a loud crack.
Everyone stopped in their tracks, half of the group being outside on the grounds while the other half was still making its way out of the entranceway. All attention turned to the direction of the sound but then there was another crack, and another, and another until there were so many that I couldn't even count them anymore. The sound was easy to recognize. It was the sound of apparition.
In mere seconds the lawn in front of Ivory Manor was full of AWG soldiers, each clothed from head to toe in some form of armor. "Great Merlin there must be thousands of them!" Draco gasped and I could only nod dumbly in agreement.
"Now what?" I questioned.
"We fight," Seth stated in a serious tone. The fear in his eyes told me that we were in trouble.
Draco grasped my hand tightly and Khalida moved in front of me, fangs barred in readiness for the coming battle. That's when it hit me. The words that I'd been trying to remember suddenly appeared in my mind as if they'd been there all the time.
"The Brotherhood," I gasped, "I remember the words." The vampires seemed to understand immediately because they moved away from me, forming a circle of open space.
"Are you sure about this?" Draco asked nervously.
"They can help us escape," I explained as I gripped the broomstick in my hand tightly. "I'll need a knife or something."
Wilkes reached into his front pocket and pulled out a pocket knife. "It's not anything fancy but I suppose it'll do."
"Thanks," I replied. My hands shook as I swiped the small blade over my palm, allowing a few drops to fall to the earth. "Bound to Blood, Bound to One. I summon the Brotherhood of Eanna, allies of Harry James Potter, Heir of Gryffindor. Remember the promises made, the duty sworn. Hear the call of your leader, mighty net, protector of his people, raging flood-wave who destroys even walls of stone."
The very air surrounding us seemed to change as the last word fell from my lips. The grounds fell into a thick silence and even the wind halted as if it knew something important had just happened. Dark figures slowly came up through the shadows until eighteen figures surrounded me. I waited for two more until I remembered Lucius and Tonks. The second in command stepped forward immediately, sensing the direness of the current situation.
"We need to get outside the wards," I explained, motioning towards the front gates. "The AWG has us surrounded so we're going to have to fight our way out."
"We're ready to fight!" one of the Brotherhood shouted excitedly. The rest of the masked figures nodded in reply.
"I know you are," I stated firmly, "and that's exactly what I want you to do."
"Kill 'em all!" another member shouted and they all cheered in response.
I began to shake my head but stopped myself. The memory of what Curtis had been planning to do caused my blood to run cold. "Do what you must," I commanded icily.
"Is that wise?" Khalida questioned.
"Do I need to remind you that he was going to kill you and Draco?" I ground out angrily.
"But they're only soldiers," Draco responded warily, "They're only following orders."
I considered his words but shook my head. "I can't be responsible for everyone's actions," I explained coldly.
"But you can be responsible for your own," Khalida commented.
"This is war," I stated sternly, "and I intend to utilize every advantage I may have."
"There is no war!" Draco exclaimed, "And you're not Harry Potter!"
"Draco…" Khalida hissed under her breath.
I turned away from them. "You're right, I'm not my father," I stated icily, "And I don't plan on running away."
"Gilgamesh never ran away," Khalida growled, "He always fought bravely."
"Did he really?" I sneered as I turned to meet her glare, "Then what are we doing here?" Khalida continued to glare at me while Draco sputtered in response.
If Draco and Khalida weren't happy with my decision to call on the Brotherhood then they were really upset when I set my next plan into motion. I closed my eyes and called out with my mind. "Hear your master," I whispered silently, "Come to me, I have orders."
"Jenny?" Draco questioned worriedly, "Jenny, are you okay?"
"I'm fine," I replied as I opened my eyes. "I'm just calling in some backup."
"Backup?" Khalida asked in confusion.
"Since vampires aren't affected by Dementors…"
"Dementors!" Draco interrupted, "Are you insane?"
"I plan on getting out of here alive and I think we'll need all the help we can get," I explained calmly.
"Why don't you just send a message to You-Know-Who while you're at it?" Draco questioned sarcastically.
"I will if I have to."
"Do you want to start a bloody war?" Draco asked wildly.
The vampires were shifting nervously as the Brotherhood moved to take their positions around the edge of the group. The AWG soldiers were slowly closing their ranks, forcing the vampires to move closer together. I looked over at the second-in-command and I could see that he was waiting for me to give the order to attack. Suddenly a sharp elbow poked me in the side.
"Ow!" I exclaimed in surprise. I turned to see Seth giving me a questioning look.
"Well?"
"Well what?" I asked in confusion.
"We're waiting for your orders," Seth replied matter-of-factly.
"My orders? But why?" Surely the vampires had their own leaders; captains or commanders or something of that sort. Seth was eyeing me doubtfully and I suddenly remembered the advice Luna had given me at the Department of Mysteries.
"Show them your power. They live in fear of the Dark Lord, not because he is the Dark Lord but because he is a Riddle."
The vampires were waiting on me. They were waiting to see just how powerful I am. If I wasn't powerful enough to stand against the Dark Lord then there was no way they would consider me an ally. The fight against the AWG would be my first test. It was a test I desperately needed to pass. The vampires could offer me support and a place to hide, and most importantly of all, my friends would be safe.
"Listen up!" I commanded forcefully. "I want the Brotherhood to stay in front. The strongest of you should take up position behind them and take down anyone who gets through. The rest of you will be the third wave and take out any stragglers."
The vampires parted in front of me as I moved toward the group of vampires near the entrance to the manor. "I want all of you on the steps and in the doorway to make your way behind the soldiers to the left and right."
"I've called on the Dementors," I explained as I made my way back to the front of the group, "They'll most likely come in over the fence near the front gate. When they show up that will be our cue to make our escape. They should create enough chaos to allow us to slip away."
"There will be no heroes today!" I shouted so the whole group could hear, "So don't do anything foolish. Watch each other's backs and watch your own. Taking out the AWG isn't as important to me as making sure everyone makes it out of here alive." I rolled my eyes as a loud laughter rolled through the mass of vampires. "You know what I mean," I added with a slight smirk.
"We're staying with you," Draco interrupted as he stepped forward to stand at my right and Khalida nodded in agreement while coming to stand at my left.
"I'll watch your backs," Wilkes offered gruffly as he pulled one gun from his side holster and another one from a holster at his ankle.
"Now what?" Seth inquired, "The soldiers are moving in."
"The best defense is a good offense," I remarked before thrusting my father's Firebolt into the air with one hand. "ATTACK!"
The Brotherhood attacked like savage dogs. Their attacks were brutal and swift. The first line of soldiers fell almost instantly. I assumed they must have been the weaker of the ranks. I steeled myself against feeling anything as I watched the young men and women fall to green spells and bloody swords. This was no time to let my resolve soften, one mistake could mean defeat.
A second wave of soldiers moved up swiftly to meet the Brotherhood. This group wasn't going to fall as easily. They appeared to be much stronger and more experienced then the first group which made me nervous about the rest of the soldiers waiting to move in. The only thing that was keeping them at bay was the fact that the size of the grounds in front of the manor didn't allow for much maneuvering for such a large group of soldiers. If the rest of the soldiers were sent in they could easily lose men to friendly fire in all the confusion.
After only fifteen minutes it was obvious that we were fighting a losing battle. The vampires were fighting savagely and the Brotherhood was taking out soldiers two at a time but there were just too many of them. For every soldier that fell there were three or four to take their place. It was apparent that eventually the AWG would wear us down.
The vampires that I had ordered to slip behind the soldiers to the right had already been discovered and their numbers were being rapidly whittled away. "Back to the rear," I attempted to shout over the battle, "Move back to the rear!"
"Let me help!" Draco yelled as he pointed his wand at my throat. "Sonorus."
"Group to the right, move back to the rear!" I shouted loudly and I was shocked when my voice carried across the grounds. The vampires on the right immediately began to move back towards the entranceway.
Draco pointed his wand at my throat once again. "Quietus."
"Thanks."
"No problem," Draco replied before returning his attention to the continuing battle.
"We've got to hold until the Dementors get here," I ground out in frustration, "It's the only chance we have."
"I don't know if we'll make it that long," Wilkes commented nervously.
"If only we had a way to get more help," Khalida stated thoughtfully.
Draco shook his head. "Even if we sent a message to the ministry, the order and the Dark Lord himself, none of them would get here in time."
"Can't we just conjure up some help or something?" I questioned thoughtfully.
"No," Draco replied, his brow creased, "Unless…"
"What?" Khalida and I questioned at the same time.
His eyes suddenly lit up and his mouth twisted into a mischievous grin. "We can conjure up some help!" He exclaimed excitedly, "Or at least you and I can Jenny."
"I don't follow," I replied dumbly.
Instead of explaining Draco pointed his wand at the ground. "Serpensortia!" he shouted and a large black snake suddenly appeared on the ground.
"Good idea!" I exclaimed, a small fire of hope suddenly igniting inside my mind. "Serpensortia!" I called out as I pointed one hand toward the ground. A large green snake appeared next to Draco's.
"That's fitting," Draco stated in an amused tone.
We began firing the spell over and over again until the ground surrounding me was a thick mass of black and green. The snakes waited patiently for their orders. They hissed "Master" over and over again until it sounded like a strange sort of song.
"Attack the men in the blue uniforms," I stated and I wondered for a moment if magical snakes were colorblind.
"Yes Master," the snakes hissed in reply. A moment later they had completely dispersed, moving through the grass like the silent and deadly killers that they are.
"Well, that bought us some time," I stated assuredly.
Draco appeared doubtful. "Hopefully it will be enough."
"It will be."
"How do you know?" Khalida questioned curiously.
"I can feel them coming," I explained, "They're very close now." Draco shivered next to me as his breath turned to steam. "It's time for us to join the battle," I stated. Draco and Khalida nodded in agreement.
"We make for the front gate and don't stop until we get there," Draco added sternly.
"Sounds like a plan," Wilkes stammered. I noticed his cheeks turning red. "There's a chill in the air," he explained. That's when I remembered that Wilkes had never seen Dementors before.
"The Dementors are coming," I stated, "They're pretty scary looking but they won't attack you as long as you don't get in their way. Stay close to me and you'll be okay." Wilkes nodded in agreement. At this point he was too frightened and nervous to argue.
"Let's go," I urged, making my way through the sea of vampires. A few turned to look at me; I could feel their curious eyes upon me as they wondered what I would do next. Khalida swiftly attacked a soldier coming up on my left while Draco shot spells at two off to my right. With a sigh I raised a hand toward the two soldiers standing a few feet ahead of me.
"Avada Kedavra." The words came out in a snake-like hiss which one could almost mistake as parseltongue. A sickly green light shot from my hand and sped toward the two young men. There was no time for them to defend themselves, not that either of them would have been capable. Everyone knows there's no spell or charm that can protect someone from that particular curse.
Only one person has ever survived the killing curse and at that moment I wished more than anything that he would suddenly appear and save us all.